By Catia Giorni
There is a moment, as you step into Palazzo Vitelli in Sant’Egidio, when time seems to stand still—amid frescoed rooms and the refined silence of a place that has witnessed centuries. And then, suddenly, the present breaks in: glasses clinking, stories intertwining, young producers speaking about vineyards and the future. It is here that Only Wine takes shape once again, in 2026.
Not just an event, but a privileged observatory on what Italian wine is becoming. A place where labels are not simply products, but stories and visions. And above all, where the protagonists have a clear identity: small wineries and young winemakers. At Only Wine, you can taste unique wines – often difficult to find elsewhere – and purchase them directly from those who produce them. Not the usual wine event, but a different way to truly step inside this world.
This is where one must begin to understand the essence of Only Wine. Now in its thirteenth edition, the fair is the first in Italy entirely dedicated to producers under 40, wineries with less than 15 years of history, and estates with limited vineyard surfaces. A deliberate choice, placing at the centre those who make wine beyond industrial logic, restoring value to agricultural practice, territory, and research. An extraordinary opportunity for many small wineries – small in size but great in quality and value – to make themselves known, present their work to the public, and build their business with the pride of those who know they are creating something truly meaningful.
From April 25 to 27, Città di Castello once again becomes a crossroads of new energy, welcoming over one hundred winemakers from across Italy, alongside an increasingly strong international presence. Yet to define Only Wine simply as a “fair” would be limiting. This is a place to listen, even before tasting. A community growing around shared values: talent, territory, sustainability.
Because behind every stand there is a story—often born from a counter current choice: leaving a career, reclaiming family land, investing in forgotten grape varieties, or simply believing that wine can be made differently. This is the invisible thread connecting the event’s protagonists: a contemporary vision of winemaking, capable of engaging with tradition without being confined by it.
The setting, too, plays its part. Palazzo Vitelli is not just a backdrop, but a true narrative device: its rooms and seven-thousand-square-meter park become the ideal stage for a journey across territories, styles, and approaches. A path that unfolds through free tastings, meetings, in-depth discussions, and direct conversations with those who truly produce the wine.
In recent years, Only Wine has broadened its horizons, opening increasingly to an international dimension. Alongside Italian producers, Champagne vignerons return, joined by groups such as the Jeunes Vignerons Bourgogne, as well as wineries from Spain, Switzerland, Greece, Alsace, and several Eastern European countries. A mosaic of experiences that does not flatten differences, but rather enhances them, creating dialogue between deeply diverse wine cultures.
There is also a new feature that clearly reflects the direction of the event: the introduction of Japanese sake, following the inclusion of Japanese wines in the previous edition. Not merely an exotic addition, but an invitation to expand our perspective on fermentation cultures, recognizing that wine—understood as an expression of territory and craftsmanship—has many forms around the world.
Perhaps the most dynamic aspect of this edition, however, is its growing role as a space for dialogue. On Monday, April 27, dedicated to industry professionals, the event will host the debut of the Wine Summit—the General Assembly of Young Producers and Small Wineries. A significant step forward: not only exhibition, but the construction of ideas, with the presentation of a Manifesto and the creation of a permanent Observatory dedicated to these realities. A sign that small wineries are no longer a romantic niche, but an increasingly central component of the Italian wine system.
Ultimately, Only Wine tells exactly this story: a quiet yet profound transformation. An Italy that perhaps produces less but produces better; that rediscovers local identities; that invests in quality and in direct relationships with those who drink. A young Italy—not only in age, but above all in mindset.
And as you move among the stands, between tastings and conversations, you begin to realize that the true richness of the event is not only in the glass. It lies in the possibility of stepping, even if just for a moment, into the world of those who imagined and cultivated that wine.
In a time when everything seems to accelerate, Only Wine invites you to do the opposite: slow down, listen, choose. And perhaps it is precisely for this reason that, year after year, it continues to be one of the most compelling events in the Italian wine landscape.
Info: www.onlywine.it
Official website of the event, where tickets for the 13th edition of Only Wine can be purchased, along with the full program and the list of participating wineries.
